Celebrating the bog on Sunday

Stepping off the boardwalk at the Tannersville Cranberry Bog gives new meaning to the phrase "bogged down."

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By KENT JOHNSON

poconorecord.com

By KENT JOHNSON

Posted Oct. 12, 2012 at 12:01 AM

By KENT JOHNSON

Posted Oct. 12, 2012 at 12:01 AM

If you go

Tannersville Bog Day 2012When: Sunday, rain or shine

Where: Tannersville Cranberry Bog, Cherry Lane Road, Tannersville

Schedule:

Trees of the Bog Preserve — 1...

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If you go

Tannersville Bog Day 2012

When: Sunday, rain or shine

Where: Tannersville Cranberry Bog, Cherry Lane Road, Tannersville

Schedule:

Trees of the Bog Preserve — 10 a.m. to noon. The bog is home to a range of tree species, some common to the Pocono region and some found more in a boreal climate.

Boardwalk walks — 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

The two-hour walk on the floating boardwalk with Bog Stewardship volunteers will provide an October view of the bog in all its autumn splendor.

Cost: Free. Donations accepted.

What to bring: Walking shoes, camera and binoculars.

Note: Reservations are required.

Information: 570-629-3061, mcconservation.org

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Stepping off the boardwalk at the Tannersville Cranberry Bog gives new meaning to the phrase "bogged down."

The seemingly solid surface is floating on anywhere from several inches to several feet of water. Stepping in the wrong place can dampen not only your spirit but also your shoes.

The Nature Conservancy and Tannersville Bog Stewardship Committee are inviting people to explore the floating boardwalk and upland areas on Tannersville Bog Day on Sunday.

"Our programs will be a little different this year," said Roger Spotts, naturalist at Monroe County Environmental Education Center. "The lack of rain over the summer has left water levels low. We won't be able to canoe through the bog. We will have walks into the main bog on the boardwalk and along the ridge upstream from the bog."

The bog is a relic left by the last continental glacier. Plant communities here are similar to the nutrient-poor boreal forests of northern Canada. Tannersville Cranberry Bog is the southern-most low-altitude boreal forest in eastern United States and has been designated a National Natural Landmark.

"There are many unique plants here," Spotts said. "The water is acidic. Plants such as the leatherleaf have developed thick, coated leaves to conserve nutrients and reduce transpiration."

Insectivore plants are another way of dealing with the bog's low nutrients. These pitcher plants have tubular veined leaves that hold water. Insects, spiders, and even small frogs are trapped inside them and are slowly digested by the plants' enzymes.

The 1,000-acre bog preserve is home to beavers, bobcats, coyotes, gray foxes, river otters, barred owls and wild turkeys. Rare creatures like the bog turtle and bog copper butterfly have also been observed in the preserve.

In addition, the bog preserve is home to a range of tree species — some common to the Pocono region and some found in a boreal climate. The upland walk will be led by Preserve Committee chairman Ray Milewski, professor of botany at East Stroudsburg University.

"I hope to gather people who want to learn about their native trees," Milewski said. "Tree identification is done by examining the leaf color and shape, the overall tree shape, and the bark. Along the ridge are oak, hickory and many other species common to the Pocono region. There is not as much diversity in the bog."

"Most people think the blight killed off all the American chestnut trees." Milewski added, "A few have survived, and we might find one on the ridge."

If you're not bogged down with a myriad of home repair projects, this weekend will be a great opportunity to explore one of the Pocono area's unique natural landmarks.